UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ON AUROBINDO GHOSH

Nethaji Subbash Chandra Bose was Chairman of All India Youth Congress in December 1928. In his speech he attacked two schools of thought, which have their centers at Sabarmati and Pondicherry, namely schools of Gandhi and Aurobindo. Gandhi’s school according to Nethaji opined “modernity was bad, economic development unnecessary and that we must go back to the days of bullock cart”. The Pondicherry school created “a feeling and an impression that there is nothing higher or nobler than peaceful contemplation”.

■ What happened to Mahatma Gandhi’s request to meet Aurobindo Ghosh?

Mahatma Gandhi wrote that “ever since my return to India I have been anxious to meet you face to face…Now that is almost certain that I am to be in Pondicherry will you spare me few minutes and see me? Aurobindo Ghosh replied in his own hand: “ I think you will understand that it is not personal or mental choice but something impersonal from deeper source for the inner necessity of work and sadhana that prevents me from receiving you but I cannot do otherwise than keep to the rule I have adhered to for some years past”.

Aurobindo refused to meet Mahatma Gandhi, yet Sonia Gandhi’s party is bent on spending government money for celebrating his arrival to this soil.

■ Mother, is she a Jew?

Gabriel Monod Herzen, a biographer of Aurobindo Ghosh says: Moise Maurice Alfassa’s birth was registered with the foreign Jewish community of Constantinople, under Italian protection. Mirra is short form of Miriam, a common Jewish forename. One of Mirra’s other forenames, Rachel, was the forename of her paternal grandmother Rachel Hillel. Mirra’s maternal grandmother, Mira Ismalum nee Pinto, wrote in her memoirs that she and her husband were of the Jewish religion. This information should be kept secret. After all we Indians should only call her Mother. I am against calling anyone other than one’s own Mother as Mother. All women must be revered like mother, I don’t dispute it. This practice of calling Mirra Alfassa as Mother had opened the floodgates of other spiritual masculine masters too,[ all know Bangaru Adigal is called as Amma] urging their followers to call themselves Amma. This craziness catches political leaders too and Miss J.Jayalalitha had become Amma. Everyone forgets their own mother and calls other for sake of sycophancy as Mother. This practice I don’t welcome.

■ How the life of Aurobindo Ghosh ended?

In mid 1949 Aurobindo began to experience frequent and difficult urination. Dr.Prabhat Sanyal from Calcutta diagnosed …. Later one day the symptoms of Aurobindo’s prostatic-hyperplasia reappeared. The doctors were confident that he would use his yogic force to make them subside and were dismayed when the symptoms worsened. Albumen appeared in the urine, then acetone, a grave signal…… It was chilly during the monsoon and Aurobindo’s discomfort increased. A few days before November 24 darshan, Dr.Satyavrata Sen was consulted. He confirmed the diagnosis. But what is the remedy, Aurobindo asked. The only radical remedy was to remove the prostrate surgically. It was relatively safe and straightforward procedure, but they were aware that Aurobindo and Mother would never approve of it….. Darshan passed off

Over the next few days Aurobindo’s symptoms worsened. The doctors had no alternative than to pass a catheter. This gave immediate relief, but also brought on a fever. Dr.Sanyal was called from Calcutta. Arriving on the evening of November 30 of 1949 he asked Aurobindo what the trouble was. Trouble, Aurobindo replied “Nothing troubles me, and suffering, one can be above it” Nirodbaran reminded him of his urinary difficulties. After consulting with other doctors and checking the lab reports, Dr.Sanyal explained Aurobindo and his Mother that Aurobindo had a mild kidney infection. He hoped anti-biotic and normal drainage would set things right. The next day there was considerable improvement.

On December 2 Dr.Sanyal explained that the condition was slightly worse and sought permission to try more aggressive treatment. Mother did not consent; she told his body would not respond to powerful drugs. That evening Aurobindo’s temperature shot up to 102 degrees. He began to have trouble in breathing, sign of reduced kidney efficiency. The doctors insisted that he have a blood analysis. The results were staggering “all the signs of imminent kidney failure.

December 5: Around one of clock in the morning Mother of Ashram came back to his room. Then she told doctors call me when the time comes and went back to her room. At that time Aurobindo’s breathing was so labored that he had to be given oxygen. Around 1:15 he roused himself, inquired about the time and asked Nirodbaran for something to drink. After sipping a bit of juice, he plunged within. At 1:26 Aurobindo placed his arms on chest and breathed his last….

Those who read this will know how he passed away, the ailment he had and that caused his death. It is like any other human being facing his end, and that is why Ashram is scared that all myths built around him to generate an aura will vanish in air, if rationalists start raising questions.

His death proves that his integral yoga could not transform his cells, locating the mind in each cell, nor he had found the key to death nor he had attained a super mind. His physical ailment cannot be cured by his yoga, doctors are needed. So the myth he is an avatar or god on earth or God-man will be punctured if the fact about his natural death due to kidney failure is known. All fantastic prose and poetry woven around a false belief that immortality on Earth could be attained stood exposed by his death.

Nothing abnormal, in past Tamil Saint Thirumoolar claimed that by yoga he lived for 3000 years and wrote one poem every year in his Classic known as “Thirumanthiram”. Mathew Arnold wrote a poem scholar gypsy where he stated that gypsies knew the secret to live for 200 or 300 years. Saint Ramalinga Adigal claimed that he will attain a body of light and vanish in the space. Justice Balaramiah, a known follower of Ramalinga Adigal wrote a book “Vallalar Death: is it murder or mukthi?’

So seers and sages where chasing the idea of conquering death, and all failed. Aurobindo too failed, that is why I call him failed prophet.

■Do you say his yoga had no power?

From the events narrated it seems his body did not get decomposed for few days. I think his yogic power might have caused that achievement. “The laws of French India required funerals to take place within 48 hours, so permission had to be attained to delay Aurobindo’s internment. On the morning of December 7 Dr V.P.Barbet Chief Medical Officer of Pondicherry together with Dr.Sanyal and Dr.Nirodbaran examined Aurobindo’s body and found no sign of decomposition. On morning of December 9, hundred hours after the moment of death, the first signs of decomposition appeared. At 5 o clock body placed in a rosewood casket was lowered into the vault. No religious rites were observed. Nolini and Champaklal threw earth into the vault before it was sealed.

Only 100 hours a body could be maintained without decomposing, that alone integral yoga could deliver, this is what rationalists feel and we have freedom of expression to talk about a death which is part of history. Ashram people are not dictators to seal all lips and plaster all ears and blind all eyes of people who read history, who unearth hidden history.